Witches and witchcraft have been around for thousands of years, and can be traced as far as when man discovered fire, and would spend the nights by its mystic flame preparing all sorts of concoctions. The word itself comes from “wicca,” meaning “the wise one”, and yet, witches have always been considered a demonic apparition. Take Cassandra for example, priestess of Apollo, who predicted the fall of Troy. Insidermonkey experts made a list of 13 most famous witches in history.

It wasn’t until the 11th century AD that witchcraft invoked the wrath of priests, Christianity, and the society. In the 13th century, Pope Gregory authorized the execution of witches, and the Inquisition was born as an institution that would track down and punish witches and heretics. In 1498, Pope Innocent VIII issued a declaration confirming the existence of witches, and so the witch hunt began. Dozens of thousands of people, mainly women, were executed after being accused of witchcraft. You can also check our list of 12 popular science myths debunked.